Razor-blade stropper



J. V. PETRELLI RAZOR BLADE STROPPER Filed May 6, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet -la n aLEQEW May 1, 1928. 1,667,819

J. V. PETRELLI RAZOR BLADE STROPPER Filed May 6. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I4 4 i I Patented May 1, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JOSEPH V. PETRELLI, F GREENW'ICH, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-TWENTIETHTO FRANK J. KENT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RAZOR-BLADE STROIPER.

Application filed May 6, 1925. Serial No. 28,283.

This invention relates to a device for sharpening razor blades.

A general object of the invention is to provide an improved razor bladestropping device of the general type in which a pair of adjacentlyplaced. rollers are engaged in alternation by an interposed blade whichis swung intermittently from engagement with one roller toengagementwith theother.

The invention includes. a hand crank mechanism having a one-way drivingconnection with one of the rollers, a connecting link between therollers for bringing about the rotation of the other roller in theopposite direction, andmeans for supporting and moving a bladealternately into engagement with the respective rollers.

A feature of the invention resides in a rock arm connection between theroller con necting link and the blade carrier which functions both torock the carrier and to control the motion of the roller connecting linkto produce rotation of the rollers in opposite directions.

Other features of the invention will be hereinafter referred to;

In the drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention hasbeen selected for illustration:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a. razor blade stropping deviceembodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a view in transverse section and on an enlarged scale of thedevice shown in Figure 1'.

Figure 3 is a view in longitudinal section of the device shown in Figure2.

Figure 4 is an end view of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a view in end elevation of the other end of the device shownin Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a sectional view through a stropping roller forming part ofthe device and showing driving means therefor.

Figure 7' is a view in cross-section looking in the direction ofthearrows of Fig.- 6" and showing a clutch device forming part of thedriving means shown in Figure 6. p Figure 8 is a perspective viewshowing a blade holding device forming part of the invention, the partsthereofbeing in disassembled relation.

Figure 9 is a view similar to- Figure 8 showing another form of bladeholding devlce.

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure showing another form of clutchdevice that may be used with the invention.

Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description of theinvention, a razor blade stropping device is shown which includes acasing or shell 10 having a substantially triangular formation incrosssection. The shell or casing 10 is attached at its ends to arearward frame member 11 and a forward frame member 12 to therebyproducea substantially closed casing or housing for the operating partspThe forward end plate 12' has mounted thereon in a journaled relationvthereto a pair of blade stropping rollers 13 and 14v provided withleathenfacedperipheries for producing the stropping eifecton the bladebeing operated upon. The rollers 13 and 14 are spaced a slight distanceapart and extend in a parallel relation from the end plate 12 on whichthey are supported by the projection of threaded extensions 15 carriedby the rollers through the end plate and on which clamping nuts 16 aremounted.

In order to drive the rollers a crank handle 17 is attached to theprojecting end of a shaft 18 which is journaled in a sleeve 19* whichterminates in the extension 15 already referred to; The inner end of theshaft 18 is provided with a ball raceway 20 in which a ball 21 isreceived. The roller structure includes a tubular member 22 whichencloses the sleeve 19' and the raceway 20 and ball 21. Formed in theinner surface of the tubular member 22 is a cam groove 23 which formswith the ball member 21 a clutch device. Viewing the clutch asrepresented in Figure 7 of the drawing rotation of the shaft 18 in acounter-clockwise di-' rection will not produce rotation of the roller13 sincethe ball 21 will merely rotate on its own axis in contact withthe shoulder 24 provided in the cam groove 23. On the contrary rotationof the shaft in the other direction will cause a. wedg-ing or amining ofthe ball member 21 between the con verging surfaces of the cam grooveandthe raceway 20 to thereby bring about rotation of the roller 13 inthe desired direction. By this construction rotation of the rollers canbe brought about in only one direction thereby obviating a reversedirection of rotation of the rollers with a resulting injury to theroller surfaces brought about by engagement of the surfaces with thecutting edge of the blade.

In order to rotate the companion roller 14 a connecting rod or link isprovided which has pivotal engagement with the run-- ward end portionsot' the respective rollers .13 and 1 1. A rock arm 26 attached to ashaft 27 journaled in the rearward end wall 10 of the casing provides adirecting or corn trol member for producing a crank motion which willcause the roller 14 to be rotated in exact accordance with the rotationof the roller 13 and in a reverse direction so that the confrontingfaces of the two rollers 13 and 14 rotate in an upward direction asviewed in Figures 2 and a of the drawing.

The shaft 27 alread referred to forms part of a U-shaped frame member 22which has a terminal portion 29 journaled in the forward frame plate 12of the casing of the device. The frame member 28 is adapted to carry ablade 30 and through its connection with the rock arm 26 the frame 28rocks from side to side to move the blade edge into engagementalternately with the respective rollers 13 and 14. The rock arm 26therefore performs two functionsit serves to control the operation ofthe. con neeting link 25 which connects the rollers 13 and 1a and italso serves to rock the frame or carriage 28 on which the razor blade ismounted.

The arm 26 is not directly keyed to shaft 27. but a friction washer 27of fiber or other suitable material is compressed between arm 26 andframe 28. This friction drive causes frame 28 to follow the oscillatorymovement of arm 26. but permits the arm 26 to continue movement. ineither direction after the razor blade has engaged one of the stroppingrolls.

The simple and direct drive mechanism thus provided not only rotates therolls in opposite directions. but also moves the blade into engagementwith the appropriate roll and holds it in such engagement for the properlength of time.

The frame 28 is provided with a tubular member 31 in which is received ablade holding device such as that shown in Figure 8 of the drawings oras that shown in Figure 9. The blade holding device shown in Figure 8 ismade up of a holding bar 32 provided with a knurled thumb-piece orhandle member and having projecting lugs 34 adapted to entercorresponding recesses 35 in a companion holding bar it between which adouble-edged blade such as is shown at is adapted to be clamped. Theholding bars 32 and 36 are held in their blade clamping relation bv theinsertion of the assembled parts into the tubular portion 31 of the rockframe 28. An opening or recess 37 in the forward end plate 12 of thedevice provides for the insertion of the blade holding parts into therock frame or their removal therefrom as may be required. It will beclear that the reversal of the position of the blade in the tubularmember 31 provides for the carrying out of the stropping operation onboth of the blade edges.

vReferring to Figure 9 of the drawings a blade holding device torllltltll of the type having but one edge and a reinforced back isprovided. This device consists of a tubular member l'iaving a. handlemember l!) and provided with a longitlulinallv extending slit 40therein. The tubular member 38 is open as at -l1 at one end and isadapted to receive therein a smaller tubular member also slitted at: iA. blade 1.-l. having a reinforced rearward edge -tl5 is adapted to havethe reinforced edge inserted into the smaller tubular member 4-2 and thetubular member 12 is then inserted into the larger tubular member 38 toprovide an as sembled structure which can be placed into position withinthe tubular portion 531 of the rock frame 28 as already described.

in order to tacillitatc the operation of placing a razor blade inposition on the device or removing it therefrom. a thumbpiece 416 isprovided on the shaft 27 by means of which the rock frame member 28 mavbe suitably centered to bring about the placing of the blade holder inposition without injury to the adjacent roller surfaces.

In order to hold the end plate members 11 and 12 in position and inrigid relation to each other a pair of spacing members 47 are providedwhich are attached at one end to the inner surface of the forward plate12 and at the other end are engaged by screws 4-8 passing through therearward wall 11.

Referring to Figure 10 of the drawings a modified form of clutch deviceis shown in which a. drive shaft 49 is provided with a race member 50having an eccentric formation and rotatable inside the tubular portion22 of the roller 13. in this form of the invention a. pin 51 carried bythe sleeve 22 engages av ball member 21 when rotating in a clockwisedirection to bring about idle rotation of the shaft 49 withoutcorresponding rotation of the roller 13. It will be seen that rotationof the shaft 49 in the re verse or comiter-clockwise direction willcause the thickened portion of the eccentric 50 to wedge the ball 21against the inner surface of the tubular member 22 and there by rotatethe tubular member and roller 13 with the .shaft 19.

In order to prevent the engagement of the blade with the same section ofthe peripheral surfaces of the rollers provision is made changing thepivotal connection of the link Stl till

member with the ends of the rollers 13 and 14. For this purpose recesses52 formed in multiple, three being shown in the drawing, are provided inwhich inwardly extending lugs 53 on the link member project. The lugsare held in place in the recesses by the adjacency of the end wall 11 tothe movable parts.

In the operation of the device it will be seen that rotation of thecrank handle 17 in a clockwise direction as shown in Figure 1 willrotate the corresponding roller 13 in the same direction whereupon thelink member 25 will rock about its pivotal connection with the rock arm26 to, thereby produce rotation of the roller 14 in the oppositedirection. At the same time the endwise movement of the link member 25produces a rocking movement of the rock arm 26 thereby rocking oroscillating the frame 28 to move' the edge of the blade 30 intoalternate engagement with the respective rollers 13 and I claim 1. Arazor shariening device comprising a frame, a pair 0 parallel rollersmounted in the frame, means for rotating one of the rollers, a linkmember pivot-ally connected to an end of each roller, an arm having oneend pivotally connected to the intermediate part of the link and itsother end pivoted to the frame, a member for supporting a razor bladewith an edge disposed between the rollers, and means for causing saidarm to rock the blade supporting member to move the blade edge intocontact with the rollers alternately.

2. A razor sharpening device comprising a frame, a pair of parallelrollers mounted in the frame, means for rotating one of the rollers, alink member pivotally connected to an end of each roller, an arm. havingone end pivotally connected to the intermediate part of the link and itsother end pivoted to the frame, a member for supporting a razor bladewith an edge disposed between the rollers, and a friction memberengagingthe arm and the blade supporting member to cause said arm torock the blade supporting member to move the blade edge into contactwith each roller alternately.

3. A razor sharpening device comprising a frame, a pair of parallelrollers mounted in the frame, a hand crank for rotating one of therollers, a one-way clutch connecting the crank to theroller, a linkmember having its opposite ends pivotally connected to each roller, ablade supporting frame pivotally mounted in the frame, an arm having oneend pivoted on the axis of the blade supporting-member and its oppositeend pivotally connected to the intermediate part of the link, and afriction washer mounted on the axis of the blade-supporting member andengaging the arm. and the blade-supporting member.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOSEPH V. PETRELLI.

